Leaking Toilet Repair and Refit

The problem

Our customer had already called out another plumber to fix a leaking toilet. That plumber replaced a flexible tap connector, which stopped one leak, but water was still leaking from the pan connector at the back of the toilet.

What we found

When we arrived, we found a few more problems. The previous plumber had taken the cistern off to do the repair, and because there was a gap between the cistern and the tiled wall, a small piece of cardboard and some silicone had been used to hold it in place. The cistern was loose and moving about, and that’s not how a toilet should ever be left.

There was also an older problem. When the toilet was first fitted many years ago, the waste pipe at the back had been left too long, so the toilet couldn’t sit properly against the wall. New flooring had later been fitted around the toilet instead of underneath it. If we’d shortened the pipe and moved the toilet back, it would have left an ugly gap in the flooring at the front, so we needed a fix that wouldn’t create a new problem.

The work carried out

1. Removing the fixings. The screws holding the toilet to the floor were badly rusted, and some had been fitted at awkward angles. We used the right tools to get them out carefully, doing everything we could to protect the toilet.
2. Removing the pan and cistern. With the toilet out, we could finally reach the leaking connection.
3. Cleaning. Years of dirt and grime had built up behind the toilet, so we gave the whole area a really good clean before fitting anything back.
4. New pan connector. We took out the old leaking pan connector and fitted a brand new McAlpine pan connector.
5. Refitting the toilet. We carefully put the toilet back in place, replacing the rusted screws with new fixings and neat finishing caps.
6. Supporting the cistern. To deal with the gap behind the cistern, we fitted solid timber supports so it’s strong and secure. No more loose cistern, and no cardboard holding it together.
7. Sealing and checking. We sealed neatly around the base of the toilet, then checked everything was secure and working as it should.

The result

What might have looked like a simple toilet repair took around four hours. Small jobs can turn into bigger ones when things haven’t been fitted properly in the first place, and we believe it’s worth taking the time to do the job right.

The customer was really happy with the finished result. At MS HEATING AND PLUMBING, even the smallest jobs get proper care and attention, because it’s not just about stopping a leak, it’s about making sure the job is done properly.

Got a leak you can’t track down? Our leak trace and repair page explains how we find and fix it.